A wide variety of information about a vehicle, its performance, maintenance, orientation, and the condition of its numerous systems (fuel, door closure, temperature) and the like have been collected and displayed within vehicle interiors for many years. In recent years, with technology developments accelerating at heretofore unbelievable rates, the types of information collected, the accuracy thereof and the methods for displaying the information have also been increasing. Examples include compass and mirror technology and the combination thereof, where compass headings are displayed on the surface of the vehicle interior.
These various examples of information collection and/or display are provided purely for purposes of establishing a general background from which the display improvement of the present invention can be appreciated. At present, the displays themselves, wherever they have been located, involve hardware and systems which are typically designed for specific applications for reasons of size, attachment, supplying power thereto or the like. Little flexibility currently exists for using conformable display surfaces in a variety of vehicle locations. Further, other conventional display technology (e.g., liquid crystal display (“LCD”), light emitting diode (“LED”), etc.) incorporate a lens and is located in a module (e.g., wherein the lens is a first or exterior surface and the display is a second or inner surface). (The lens is typically used to cover or obscure circuit boards and the like.) Additionally, conventional display technology (particularly LCD displays) are only used in a flat and/or non-flexible surface application.
To provide a reliable, widely adaptable, self-illuminating vehicle display that is less expensive, has higher contrast, and uses less energy than conventional displays (e.g., LCDs, and the like) and avoids the above-referenced and other problems would represent a significant advance in the art.